Pokémon the Series: Alpha and Omega
by DatNuttyKid
Summary: After arriving in the Hoenn region, Iris and Serena set off on an adventure they'll never forget. (Spoilers for BW and XY series. Non-shippy.)
1. Getting The Hoenn On The Road!

**Just a random idea I came up with that made me wish I was an animator, lol. But fanfictions work too.**

As the airplane's door slid open, a girl stepped through it, putting her hand over her eyes to block the bright sunlight and admire the landscape around her. As she grinned proudly, her large, bluish-black hairdo began to rustle before splitting apart, revealing a tiny Dragon Pokémon inside of it: an Axew.

"We're finally here, Axew!" the girl cheered. "The Hoenn region!"

This girl was Iris: an aspiring Dragon Master from Unova who had recently decided to head to the Hoenn region with her Pokémon partners. She now took her first few steps closer to her destination as she made her way down the stairs.

Just behind her, another girl emerged at the airplane door, similarly holding her hand over her eyes. Behind her stood her fox-like Pokémon partner, Braixen. This was Serena, an aspiring Pokémon Performer-turned-Coordinator.

"We made it, Braixen," Serena smiled nervously, stepping through the door. "We're in Ho-eeeeeeeek!" Before she could finish her first statement, her foot slipped unexpectedly off of the top step, sending her tumbling headfirst down the stairs and into Iris as Braixen watched anxiously. "Ow," Serena muttered, rubbing her head as she picked her hat off of the ground and tried to stand up.

"Hey, watch where you're going," Iris complained a few feet away as she tried to knock the dirt out of her hair. Axew had managed to see Serena tumbling towards them and was perched on the handrail on the stairs.

"I'm sorry!" Serena apologized profusely, back on her feet. "I was distracted looking around, and I didn't see-"

"You know what?" Iris interrupted, still a bit upset. "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

"You cha- what?" Serena asked.

"You heard me!" The Dragon-lover's anger was slowly dying away in favor of excitement. "Let's do this!"

"Um… okay," Serena agreed reluctantly. By this point, Braixen and Axew had made it back to their trainers' sides.

"It'll be a three-on-three. Both sides can switch out any time, and the first side to defeat all three Pokémon wins!" After setting the terms, Iris pulled out a Poké Ball. "Gabite! Go!" she shouted, hurling the Poké Ball. The Pokémon called for leapt out of it, posing as Serena reached for her Pokédex.

"A Dragon/Ground-type," Serena observed as she read the Pokédex entry.

"That's right!" Iris confirmed. "Dragon-types are my specialty."

 _Think, Serena,_ Serena thought to herself. _What would Ash do? …I know!_ "Sylveon! I choose you!" Sylveon was released from her Poké Ball, landing gracefully a few feet away from Gabite.

"A Fairy-type," Iris nodded. "Good choice! Mind if I take the first move?"

"Thank you. Go ahead!"

Iris grinned as she and Gabite made eye contact. "Gabite! Use Iron Head!"

"Iron Head?" Serena gasped as Gabite began to glow before rushing headfirst into Sylveon, sending the Intertwining Pokémon stumbling backwards.

"You really think I wouldn't teach my Pokémon a move to counter their biggest weakness?" Iris asked teasingly.

 _Focus, Serena. Don't panic,_ Serena mentally calmed herself. "Sylveon, use Fairy- …oh no!" Before Serena could get the command out, Gabite had dove underground using Dig. Refusing to let it throw her, Serena quickly changed the command to, "Keep an eye on the ground! It'll be shifting where Gabite is about to come up!" Sylveon followed the command, skillfully leaping out of the way when Gabite emerged.

"Now! Use Fairy Wind!" Still in the air, Sylveon let out a gust of sparkly air, which struck Gabite with a surprising amount of force, knocking the Cave Pokémon on its back and unconscious. "We did it!" Serena cheered.

"Nice work," Iris remarked as she returned Gabite to its Poké Ball. "But I still have two Pokémon left. Come on out, Excadrill!"

 _A Ground- and Steel-type… That puts them at the advantage this time,_ Serena noted mentally.

"Excadrill, use Drill Run!" Iris commanded. Quickly obeying, the Subterrene Pokémon began to rapidly spin his body, charging towards Sylveon.

"Sylveon, use Protect!" Serena shouted. Sylveon quickly surrounded herself with a green shield, which stopped Excadrill before his drill-like body could damage the Intertwining Pokémon. Excadrill landed a few feet away after bouncing off of the shield. "Now use Swift!"

Excadrill futilely attempted to dodge the stars launched by Sylveon as they flew at him. Once the last star had collided, Iris shouted, "Use Focus Blast!"

 _Focus Blast?_ Serena questioned. _But Fighting-type moves aren't effective on Fairy-types…_ "Sylveon, dodge it!" Serena called as the light blue ball came speeding towards her Pokémon, who quickly leaped into the air over it.

Iris grinned proudly. "Just like I planned. Use Metal Claw!" Serena gasped as she realized that Sylveon's dodge had landed her right next to Excadrill, whose claws glowed before slashing the Intertwining Pokémon, knocking her away.

"Sylveon!" Serena shouted, running to her companion, who had fainted. She sighed before calling her back into her Poké Ball. "Pancham, your turn!" she shouted, releasing her Playful Pokémon to battle.

"Excadrill, come back!" Iris called almost immediately after, bringing Excadrill back into its Poké Ball.

 _Of course she would switch him out_ , Serena thought disappointedly. _Pancham is a Fighting-type, which is super effective against Excadrill. So who else does she have?_

As if she was reading Serena's mind, Iris smiled. "Go! Dragonite!" she shouted, sending out her team powerhouse. Serena and Pancham both looked terrified. "Use Ice Beam!"

The Dragon Pokémon took flight before releasing a freezing blast from its mouth. "Dodge, Pancham!" Serena cried desperately as the small Pokémon rolled out of the way.

"Flamethrower!" Iris commanded, and Dragonite immediately obeyed. With nowhere to run from the large stream of fire, Pancham had no choice but to take it head-on, falling to his knee once the attack ended.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked worriedly. Pancham stood back up and called out an affirmative response. "Okay, get it out of the sky with Stone Edge!" The Playful Pokémon slammed the ground, summoning a line of jagged rocks that sped towards Dragonite, the last one tall enough to slam into his stomach, throwing him off balance and into the ground. "Now Arm Thrust!" Pancham charged towards Dragonite, his arm glowing.

"Dragonite, get up and use Thunder Punch!" Iris shouted. As Dragonite leaped to his feet, his fist was surrounded by electricity.

 _We ran right into her trap,_ Serena realized. "Get out of there, Pancham!" Pancham skidded to a halt and attempted to turn around, only for Dragonite to release the Thunder Punch into his back, sending the small Pokémon flying towards Serena. After landing, he slowly got back to his feet, growling in determination. "Pancham, are you sure you can continue?" Serena questioned. Without even responding, Pancham charged towards the once again airborne Dragonite, leaping into the air and landing a shockingly powerful uppercut, sending Dragonite crashing back to the ground again.

"What was _that_?" Serena gasped.

"It looks like your Pancham just learned Sky Uppercut," Iris remarked in response.

Pancham grinned proudly. "That's amazing!" Serena remarked. "Quick, before Dragonite can recover! Use Stone Edge again!"

Following orders, the Playful Pokémon slammed the ground and summoned more jagged rocks. "Jump, Dragonite!" Iris shouted. The Dragon-type Pokémon barely made it off the ground, being struck by the tip of one of the tips of the rocks, which almost knocked him back out of the sky again. "Use Flamethrower!" Knowing that Pancham was too close to dodge, Serena winced as Dragonite spewed flames at his opponent, and despite his best efforts Pancham was unable to stand the damage he received and soon fell over, knocked out.

"Pancham, return!" Serena sighed. "You fought very well."

"No kidding!" Iris agreed. "It takes a powerful Pokémon to last that long against so many hard hits. And he did quite a bit of damage to my Dragonite. But now you only have one Pokémon left. Who will it be?"

Serena turned around to look where Braixen had been watching the entire battle. Understanding, Braixen gave a small nod before rushing to the battlefield. "Come on Braixen, we can take them! Use Fire Blast!"

Braixen chirped in agreement before swinging its stick around, creating a blast of fire that crashed into Dragonite, who was knocked back a little but managed to remain airborne. "Dragonite, use Dragon Rush!"

The Dragon Pokémon began glowing blue before diving out of the sky towards Braixen. "Dodge, Braixen!" Braxien quickly rolled out of the way, causing Dragonite to crash into the ground. "Now use Hidden Power!" Before Dragonite could recover, Braixen formed a light blue ball of energy in her hands and flung it at him, which sent him flying even further across the ground and knocked him unconscious.

"Come back, Dragonite," Iris sighed, disappointed that her powerhouse had fallen. "Excadrill, you're up!" She hurled a Poké Ball, releasing Excadrill once more. Excadrill and Braixen eyed each other, waiting to hear a command.

 _Excadrill is weak to Fire-type moves_ , Serena mused. _But Braixen is weak to the Ground-type. All hits will be super effective. It's anyone's battle._ "Braixen, use Flamethrower!"

Braixen responded quickly, jumping into the air and releasing a stream of fire from her stick.

"Dodge with Dig!" Iris shouted, and Excadrill disappeared into the ground just before the fire could hit him.

"Not Dig again," Serena moaned to herself. _Last time we got lucky and were able to see Gabite coming. But it won't be so easy this time…_ Serena's eyes suddenly fell on the hole Excadrill had left behind. _That's it!_ "Braixen, use Fire Blast into the tunnel!"

" _What?!_ " Iris gasped as Braixen fired the flames down the tunnel. "Get out of there, Excadrill!" she cried desperately. Seconds later, Excadrill emerged from another hole, burning fire right behind him, dealing a lot of damage. "Drill Run, now!"

The Subterrene Pokémon spun rapidly before rushing Braixen, knocking her back. As Braixen got back to her feet, the two Pokémon caught each others' eyes once more, admiration of each other's power on their face.

 _Braixen and Excadrill are both wiped out. This could be the final hit. We just have to land it first._ "Braixen, use Fire Blast!"

"Excadrill, Drill Run!"

The nervousness was tangible as Braixen and Excadrill charged each other, preparing their attacks. But before either could land, they were interrupted by a shout of, "Excuse me, ladies." Both Pokémon came to a halt as Serena and Iris turned their attention to an airport worker.

"Would you please pick up your luggage and get out of the way of the other passengers?" he asked politely. Serena and Iris suddenly realized that their battle had been blocking the exit to the airplane.

"Of course!" "Sorry sir." "We'll get out of your way right now."

 **I think I'll go with that for my introduction to the plot. Mostly because I want to get to work on my Animal Crossing story (if you are a fan of Animal Crossing, please go read that, too! Actually, just read all of my fanfictions. That'd be great.) I'll try to actually update this regularly maybe. Haha doubtful.**


	2. An Unexpected Encounter!

"So what are you doing in the Hoenn region?" Iris asked as she dug into her meal. After their battle was interrupted, she and Serena had taken their injured Pokémon to the airport's Pokémon Center and were now at one of the airport's restaurants waiting for Nurse Joy to finish healing them.

"I'm hoping to compete in contests," Serena explained. "It was recommended by Palermo so I can work on performing in front of crowds. I want to be Kalos Queen someday, just like she was."

"That's a great dream!" Iris exclaimed, muffled slightly by all of the rice balls she had just shoved in her mouth. "I want to be a master of Dragon-type Pokémon! I came to Hoenn to battle Rayquaza, the Sky High Legendary Pokémon. I saw it once in Johto. If it lets me battle it and I can beat it, I'll know I'm a Dragon Master."

"With your Pokémon, I think you'll be able to beat Rayquaza no problem," Serena said.

"Thanks, but we still have a long way to go!" Iris responded. "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't we travel together?"

"Huh?" Serena asked, surprised.

"We should travel together! It'll help us get stronger. I can help you work on your contest performances, and you can help me learn how to counter the Dragon-type's weaknesses! Plus, it's always fun to go on a journey with friends."

"We're friends?" Serena questioned, blushing.

Iris shrugged. "I don't know. I've never been great at making friends, but I am good at following my instincts, and my instincts tell me that you're someone I should stick around with. So what do you say? Do you want to travel with me?" She offered Serena her hand.

Serena thought this over. Finally, she nodded and took Iris's hand to shake. "It's a deal!"

"Great!" Iris cheered, jumping out of her chair. Serena was taken off-guard and dodged away from her, accidentally falling off of her own chair in the process. "Look out Hoenn region, you're about to meet Iris and…" She paused. A bit embarrassed, she turned to Serena, who was still on the floor. "Um, what's your name?"

"Serena," she replied, finally getting up to her feet. "I'm Serena."

"I'm Iris. Nice to officially meet you, Serena. I think we're going to get along great! Come on, let's get going!" Iris charged towards the door, ready to face the world.

"Iris, wait!" Serena called. Iris skidded to a halt and turned her head slightly towards Serena. "Shouldn't we pick up our Pokémon first?"

"Oh," Iris said, embarrassed. "Right."

…

As she exited the airport into the streets of Rustboro City, Serena reflected on her adventures through Kalos with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. She was interrupted as Iris stepped up next to her. "You ready?" she asked.

"Absolutely!" Serena replied.

Iris smiled. "Then let's-" Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a cry from across the street. "Get back here!" Iris and Serena both turned to see where the voice came from and spotted a girl with short red hair and her Glameow chasing after a woman dressed in a strange red outfit.

"Glameow, use Iron Tail!" the girl called as she stopped. Glameow leaped towards the other woman, extending its now glowing tail.

"Go, Exploud. Use Protect," the woman ordered calmly, releasing her Pokémon who quickly blocked the attack. The two teams were now facing toward each other, ready to battle.

"What do you think is happening over there?" Serena asked, turning towards Iris only to realize that she was gone. "Iris!" she gasped, turning back to the scene across the street to see Iris charging toward it. "Oh, what have I gotten myself into?" she whined before following her.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Iris asked the redhead as she arrived on the scene.

"That lady stole my Mega Ring," the girl responded. "And we're going to get it back. Glameow, use Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge it, Exploud," her opponent ordered. Exploud easily leaped out of the way of the attack. "Use Synchronoise." The Exploud let out a screech, causing the Glameow to crumple to the ground, obviously in pain.

"Glameow!" the girl gasped, worried for her Pokémon. Before she could do anything, the woman added, "Now, Hidden Power." Dark red orbs surrounded Exploud, then launched towards Glameow, nailing it with several powerful hits.

"A Fighting-type Hidden Power against a Normal-type Glameow," Serena mused. "That's super effective."

Sure enough, the hit was powerful enough to knock Glameow unconscious. "Return, Glameow," the girl sighed, disappointed. "What do you even want with my Mega Ring, you creep?!" she shouted at the woman.

"You couldn't understand," the woman respond me. "Now, allow me to take my leave."

"Not so fast!" Iris interrupted. "You'd better give her back her ring thingy or else!"

"…My curiosity is piqued," the woman remarked. "I desire to see your threat play out."

Iris smirked. "I was hoping you'd pick that option. Go, Dragonite!" The towering dragon emerged from his Poké Ball, immediately sizing up his opponent as he floated in midair.

"You can do this, Iris!" Serena cheered. Iris turned and smiled at her before returning her focus to the battle. "Dragonite, use Ice Beam!"

"Exploud, dodge."

As the battle continued, mostly with the two Pokémon dodging each other's attacks, the redheaded girl made her way over to Serena. "So you're friends with this Iris girl?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, I guess," Serena responded. "Who's this woman, and why did she steal your Mega Ring?"

"I have no idea," she said. "But I do know that that weird outfit she's wearing is a Team Magma uniform."

"Team Magma?" Serena asked. "I thought they disbanded months ago."

"So did everyone else. But there's been a lot of reports of Team Magma _and_ Team Aqua grunts causing problems. Stealing Pokémon, robbing Pokémon Centers… the usual criminal act. But Officer Jenny can't track them down. I guess now they're stealing Mega Rings, too."

"Exploud, use Hidden Power!" the Team Magma grunt ordered. By this point, it was clear that she was getting into the battle as her previously calm demeanor got more excited. Both Pokémon had landed a few blows and were looking a little tired.

"Take to the skies, Dragonite, and use Flamethrower!" Iris ordered. Dragonite quickly leaped into the air, dodging the Hidden Power, and released a stream of fire at the Exploud. The woman grunted as the fire collided with her Pokémon.

"Yes, that will be enough," she sighed, calling her Exploud back.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Iris asked.

"You've proven yourself strong," the woman responded. "And I don't have time to continue this battle any longer, no matter how much fun it was. Your Mega Ring, child." Confused, the redhead took her precious ring back. "Farewell. Next time we meet, I may not be so merciful." With this, the woman left.

"Get back here!" Iris yelled and started to chase her.

"It's no use, Iris," Serena called. "She returned the Mega Ring. Let's leave it at that for now."

Iris scowled. "She's a criminal. She should be stopped."

"You stopped her for now," the redhead said. "That was impressive. You did what I couldn't. You should be proud of yourself and your Dragonite."

"I am," Iris said, patting Dragonite on the arm. "I just wish I could do more."

The redhead shrugged. "I'm Zoey, by the way."

Serena gasped. "I knew I recognized you! You won the Sinnoh Grand Festival this year! You're a top coordinator!"

Zoey blushed a little. "That's me. It's still kind of weird, though. I feel like I just started out."

"You're a huge star! I love your performances," Serena continued to gush.

"Thanks," Zoey said. "I think I know you, too, right? You're Serena. You were runner-up in the Gloire Master Class. You're a great performer, too."

"Thank you so much! That means so much coming from a top coordinator," she squealed.

"So what are you doing in Hoenn? Don't you want to be Kalos Queen?" Zoey asked.

"Palermo thought it would be good for me to pursue contests so I can perform in front of more people and work on my craft," Serena explained. "What about you? Why aren't you in Sinnoh?"

"Even though I'm a top coordinator, I still want to learn more," Zoey said. "I thought that if I competed in some contests in the Hoenn region, I could learn more from different people."

"Okay, okay, we get it," Iris said, tired of being left out."You both want to work on your performances. Cool. Zoey, what was that ring thingy that that creepy lady stole from you?"

"You mean my Mega Ring?" Zoey asked, showing it off. "Have you never heard of Mega Evolution?"

"Uh…" Iris thought hard. "It's like a powerful form of certain Pokémon, right?"

"Right!" Serena confirmed. "That Mega Ring has a Key Stone in it. In combination with a Pokémon's Mega Stone, it allows her to trigger Mega Evolution!"

"You're an expert, aren't you, Serena?" Zoey asked.

Serena blushed. "I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I learned a lot from Professor Sycamore."

"Can we see you Mega Evolve your Pokémon?" Iris asked, excited.

"It can be hard on the Pokémon, so I can only do it in battle," Zoey explained.

Iris's eyes lit up. "In that case… let's battle!"

"Hold on," Serena interrupted. "You battled the Team Magma grunt. I want to battle with Zoey."

"What? But I want to see her Mega Evolve a Pokémon!" Iris complained.

"You can watch," Zoey offered. "Then you'll get to see the Mega Evolution without having to focus on the battle."

"Fine," Iris sighed.

"There's a battlefield over this way," Zoey said. "Follow me!"

 **And now Zoey's joined the series! She's not going to travel with Iris and Serena, but she'll still be a major character.**

 **So will that Magma grunt, by the way.**

 **Read and review, please! I'd love to hear what you think.**


	3. Gallade's Coordinated Assault!

"You ready for this?" Zoey called across the battlefield to Serena.

"Of course!" Serena said, grinning.

Iris stood on the sidelines, shifting her weight excitedly. "Show us what you got, you two!" she called as Axew jumped up and down on her shoulder.

"Gallade! Curtain, let's go!" Zoey shouted, releasing her Pokémon from its Poké Ball.

"Wow!" Serena gasped, her eyes practically sparkling with adoration. "It's the Gallade you used in the final round of the Grand Festival! Amazing!"

"Serena, you have to send out your own Pokémon!" Iris reminded.

Serena snapped back to attention. "Right. Sorry! Um… Go, Sylveon!" She tossed her Poké Ball, releasing the Intertwining Pokémon from it. Sylveon chirped attentively. "Okay, Sylveon, this is going to be one of our hardest battles yet! Are you ready?" Sylveon responded by standing readily, eyeing her opponent.

"You can take the first move!" Zoey offered.

"Thanks!" Serena responded. "Okay, Sylveon! Use Swift!" Sylveon quickly responded, dashing toward Gallade before leaping into the air and releasing several stars. Zoey stood firm, watching as the stars hit the Blade Pokémon, who barely even flinched.

"It didn't do anything," Iris muttered, shocked. "Gallade didn't even try to dodge it."

"Now Gallade," Zoey ordered calmly. "Use Swords Dance!" Gallade's forearms grew purple and longer as he posed.

 _Gallade's attack power is higher now,_ Serena mused worriedly. _Better not let it land a hit!_ "Fairy Wind! Let's go!" As Sylveon released the sparkling blast, Gallade still firmly held his place, refusing to move.

Iris watched attentively. "A Fairy-type move should be super effective. Why isn't Gallade dodging?"

"Double Team!" Zoey ordered. The Blade Pokémon's body started to glow a bluish hue as multiple copies appeared around it. The wind struck the copies, leaving Gallade standing uninjured.

 _We can't do a thing to it!_ Serena thought to herself. "Sylveon, use Protect!" Sylveon's body was surrounded by a green shield as she braced herself, awaiting a counterattack.

Zoey smirked. "Swords Dance!"

"What is she doing?" Iris wondered aloud as Gallade performed the move. "Sylveon is helpless against Gallade. Why won't she attack?"

Serena considered the same question, making eye contact with Zoey and waiting for a sign. "Double Team, again!" Zoey called. Gallade once again made copies of itself as its body glowed blue.

"Gallade's attack and evasion are both really high now," Iris mused. "So it should be safe to go in for an attack. But I guess Zoey has a different plan."

 _It's like she knows what I'm going to do,_ Serena mentally complained. _I have to take her by surprise. But how?_ Suddenly, her eyes lit up as an idea came to her. _Of course. Why didn't I think of it sooner?_ "Sylveon, use Swift straight up in the air!"

Iris looked shocked. "What?"

Zoey grinned. "This should be interesting."

Sylveon leaped into the air, firing stars straight up. "Now spin and use Fairy Wind!" The sparkling gusts formed a large tornado, catching the stars from Sylveon's Swift attack within it and creating a beautiful, sparkling cyclone.

"Wow! What a great combination!" Zoey complimented.

Serena smiled proudly. "Thank you! Now Sylveon, toss it!" Grabbing the swirling attack with her feelers, Sylveon did a flip as she hurled it at Gallade.

"Gallade, take it down with Psycho Cut!"

"Finally, an attack!" Iris remarked. Gallade's arms turned blue and extended as he jumped up toward the attack, knocking the stars out of the way. Unfortunately for them, it had little effect on the Fairy Wind, causing Gallade to take the full force of the remaining pink tornado, hurling him into the air.

"Sylveon, Double Team! Get up there!" Sylveon rapidly began to move, leaving transparent illusions of herself behind as she practically flew up toward the Blade Pokémon until she was right above. "Now spin and use Swift!" Still in midair, Sylveon began to rotate, releasing the star projectiles in a ring around her. They were quickly caught in the fairy cyclone and hurled into Gallade's body as it dissipated, dropping both Pokémon to the ground.

"That was beautiful and effective!" Zoey remarked as Gallade got back to his feet.

"Thanks! I had to stop thinking of it like a regular battle," Serena explained. "If I just kept throwing attacks at you, I would have never accomplished anything! I had to think of it like a contest battle."

"That's great and all," Iris noted. "But I'm still waiting on that Mega Evolution!"

"I thought you'd never ask," Zoey grinned, holding up her wrist, which bore the Mega Ring. "Now, Gallade! Mega Evolve!" Gallade's body was surrounded by an aura as the stone on his chest glowed. His body was quickly transformed into its Mega form.

Iris and Axew were awestruck. "Amazing!" Iris cheered.

"Wow, Mega Gallade…" Serena said, equally amazed. She quickly shook this off, however, and returned to the matter at hand. "Sylveon, use Double Team!" Sylveon began running circles around the Mega Evolved Blade Pokémon, surrounding him with hundreds of illusionary opponents. Gallade watched, barely moving. "Now jump and use Fairy Wind!" The Intertwining Pokémon leaped into the air and blasted her sparkling gust at Gallade, her copies following suit.

"Gallade, Double Team! Then Swords Dance!" Zoey commanded. Gallade quickly created his own doubles, easily escaping the Fairy Wind. Each of the copies then proceeded to perform Swords Dance, moving in perfect sync and looking like an army.

"Wow," Iris cooed. "She makes even the simplest strategies look so stylish." Sylveon landed across from Gallade as its clones disappeared, Gallade's following shortly thereafter.

"This has been fun and all," Zoey said, "but it's time to wrap it up. Gallade, use Stored Power!"

"What?" "No way!" Serena and Iris gasped. Axew cried out his own concern as a purple light appeared from Gallade's chest, growing rapidly until it almost completely engulfed the Blade Pokémon, at which point it flew up into the air before crashing down toward Sylveon. "No!" Serena cried as the blast collided, kicking up dust. When the cloud cleared, Sylveon was badly injured but still standing. "Use Fairy Wind! Quick!"

"Psycho Cut, Gallade!" Zoey shouted. Both Pokémon moved to make their attacks, Sylveon whipping up the wind while Gallade dashed toward her with his arm glowing and stretching. As the gust flew in his direction, Gallade skillfully leaped over it before landing right behind Sylveon and moving to land the blow, Serena wincing in fear and disappointment. "Stop!" Zoey shouted. Gallade quickly retracted his Psycho Cut and returned to his normal form.

"What?" Serena asked, confused.

"Thanks for the awesome battle, Serena!" Zoey said. "But let's give Sylveon a break. This was just for fun, right? I don't want to take it too far."

"O-Oh, okay," Serena said, pulling out Sylveon's Poké Ball. "Sylveon, return."

"That was amazing!" Iris cheered, leaping over the railing and running onto the battlefield. "Mega Gallade is soooo cool! And your use of Swords Dance and Double Team to prepare for Stored Power… Brilliant! You're an amazing trainer, Zoey!"

"Thanks," Zoey said, almost blushing. "But Serena deserves some credit, too! That combination of Fairy Wind and Swift was great!"

"It wasn't _that_ good," Serena argued. "I just came up with it on the fly."

"Don't sell yourself short, Serena," was Iris's response. "You're going to be a great coordinator!"

"I agree!" Zoey said.

Serena's face turned red. "That means a lot coming from a top coordinator like you, Zoey."

Zoey smiled, offering her hand, which Serena gladly shook.

"I'd better get going," Zoey said. "But I hope we'll meet at the next contest, okay?"

"You can bet on it!" Serena assured. The redhead flashed one more smile before making her way out of the battlefield.

"Wow! Your first rival in the Hoenn region is a top coordinator!" Iris noted excitedly.

"Rival? A-Are you sure?" Serena asked, taken aback.

Iris nodded. "Of course! You're both competing in contests, right? So you must be rivals."

Serena considered this. "I guess that's true… I don't think I'll ever be as good as she is, though."

"Well, you won't know until you try," Iris reminded cheerfully. "So let's get going! You've got a contest to get to… and I want to find a Mega Ring of my own! It's time for our journey to really start!"

Serena smiled, admiring Iris's excitement. "Okay! Let's go!"

As the two girls made their way out of the battlefield and into the Hoenn region, they remained unaware of a figure in the distance, watching their every move. As they walked out of sight, the figure put their binoculars away and kneeled down, a barely visible grin on their face. "Looks like our fun's just beginning, Aster."


	4. Iris and Treecko! Team Rocket Appears!

Their friendship solidified and their goals clear, Iris and Serena had officially left Oldale Town and begun their journey through the Hoenn region.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Serena asked Iris.

"Littleroot Town!" Iris responded, showing her companion the map on her Pokédex. "I have to talk to Professor Birch and get signed up for the Hoenn Pokémon League!"

Serena nodded to show her understanding. "Good thing the walk isn't too long. We should be there soon."

"Help! Help!" a voice cried from the nearby forest, drawing the girls' attention.

"Who is that?" Serena asked.

"I don't know but whoever it is, we'd better go help them!" Axew chirped his agreement and before Serena could process this, Iris had shot into the forest.

"Hey, wait for me!" she cried before following, holding onto her hat.

…

Following the cries of help, Iris and Serena soon found a large man wearing a lab coat backed up against a tree as two Poochyena growled threateningly at him. "Get back!" he shouted, waving a stick at the Bite Pokémon. One of them jumped up and grabbed it, ripping it from the man's grip and snapping it in half. Frightened, the man attempted to move even closer to the tree, to no avail. "Help!" he cried again.

"Don't worry, I'm on it!" Iris announced, reaching for a Poké Ball. Before she could select a Pokémon to use, though, something suddenly landed on her head. She flinched and stumbled back just as the culprit leaped down to the ground: a Treecko. "Where'd that come from?"

Serena's eyes lit up. "Oh, wow, a Treecko! Just like Sawyer's!" She pulled out her PokéDex and examined it. "It's so cute!"

Treecko, meanwhile, had caught the Poochyena's attention and was currently staring them down. "Treecko, what are you doing?" Iris asked, confused. The Wood Gecko Pokémon answered by dashing toward one of the Poochyena and using Quick Attack. However, as the Bite Pokémon was knocked back by the attack, the other jumped at Treecko and latched onto its tail with a powerful Chomp.

"Treecko!" the man shouted worriedly.

Iris grimaced. "Go, Emolga! Give Treecko a hand!" she shouted as she finally grabbed one of her Poké Balls and released the Sky Squirrel Pokémon. "Use Discharge!" Emolga chirped and began to surround herself in yellow sparks. However, before she could finish the attack, Treecko suddenly knocked her out of the air and growled. "Hey! What's your problem? I'm trying to help!" Iris snapped, Emolga repeating the sentiment as she put her paws on her hips. Treecko glared at them but moved back to attack the Poochyena again.

"I think Treecko wants to beat them on its own," Serena remarked as Treecko dodged two attacks from the Poochyena.

"It's two-versus-one! You'll never be able to beat them without help!" Iris yelled, frustrated. Emolga and Axew were now perched on opposite shoulders, watching frustratedly as the fight continued, Treecko clearly overwhelmed.

Serena pointed at the man. "We should help him get to safety while the Poochyena are distracted."

Iris sighed, still staring at the battle between Treecko and the Poochyena. "Yeah, you're right."

…

"Thank you, girls," the man said once they were a safe distance away from the fight. "I was just doing my regular research when those two jumped me!"

"Regular research…?" Serena questioned thoughtfully. "Of course! Your lab coat! You must work for Professor Birch!"

The man chuckled. "Not exactly. You see, I _am_ Professor Birch!"

Serena gasped. "Wow, really? We were just on our way to see you!"

"Was that Treecko yours?" Iris asked, interrupting the conversation.

"Sort of," the professor answered. "You see, Treecko is one of the three Pokémon I give to new trainers. Unfortunately, a lot of trainers have been choosing Torchic and Mudkip lately, so this Treecko has been in my care for quite some time. It must have followed me out on my expedition… It's become a bit protective of me, I suppose."

"Protective? More like reckless," Iris muttered.

Serena smiled. "That sounds like someone I know."

Ignoring this comment, Iris added, "I hope it's okay. I'm going to go back and check on it." Emolga and Axew nodded in agreement as Emolga took flight off Iris's shoulder and lead the way back to the Wood Gecko Pokémon.

"Hey, wait for me!" Serena cried. "Is this going to be a recurring theme?!"

…

Sure enough, Treecko was far from okay - the unbalanced battle had clearly taken its toll based on the scratches and bruises scattered over its body while the two Poochyena looked more-or-less unscathed.

"Emolga, use Discharge!" Iris ordered as soon as the Poochyena came into view. This time, Treecko was too damaged to interrupt as the Sky Squirrel Pokémon began to absorb electricity, then released it all in a powerful blast that hit both Bite Pokémon. The damage was minimal but scared them both away. Iris ran to Treecko's side as it collapsed. "I told you that you couldn't handle them on your own," she mumbled, cradling its weak body.

"Oh no, Treecko!" Serena gasped as she finally caught up with her companion. Birch was close behind.

Iris turned to her. "We have to get it to a Pokémon Center."

"The nearest one is back in Oldale Town," Birch replied, shaking his head. "And my lab is too far away, too. We'll never make it in time."

"Wait! I have some potions in my bag," Serena said, grabbing the bag off of her back. Once she found a Super Potion, she kneeled next to Iris and began to spray the concoction on Treecko's wounds. "We'll still have to hurry to the lab to give the poor thing a proper check-up. But this will help for now." Once she was finished and was tucking the Super Potion back in her bag, Treecko's eyes opened and it tried to lift its head.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Iris remarked. "Don't strain yourself too much, though. We still have to get you back to the lab in one piece." Treecko nodded slightly and laid its head back down in Iris's arms.

"Serena, you said earlier that you two were on your way to see me," Birch said. "What did you need?"

"Oh, that's right!" Serena said. "Iris wants to sign up for the Hoenn Pokémon League."

Iris nodded as she rose to her feet, still cradling Treecko. "That's right!"

"Well, then you'd better come back to the lab, too," Birch said. "I'll go on ahead and make sure everything is prepared for Treecko. You two keep him safe, alright?" With that, Birch ran off into the forest.

"Stay safe, Professor!" Serena called. She then turned back to Iris. "Are you going to be okay carrying Treecko the whole way?"

"Sure thing," Iris replied. "And Emolga and Axew can scare away any other Poochyena that might attack. Right, guys?" Emolga and Axew chirped their proud agreement.

…

"I think I see it over that hill!" Iris announced, pointing in the direction of the town. Axew jumped out of her hair to take a look while Serena blocked the sun with her hands and squinted.

"Um… I don't think that's a building…" she remarked. "I think that's smoke!"

"Smoke?" Iris was suddenly concerned. "Why would there be smoke?"

"I don't know, but we'd better find out. The professor might be in trouble!"

Sure enough, as the two girls hurried down the path in the direction of the smoke, the professor _was_ in trouble: his lab was under attack!

"Stop it, you fiends!" Birch shouted as the gigantic Charizard mecha's Flamethrower attack subsided.

The culprits, a green-haired man and a blonde woman, both wearing matching uniforms, just scoffed. "As if!" the man replied.

"We won't stop until you give up all of your rare Pokémon!" the woman chimed in.

The professor scowled. "You'll never get your hands on those Pokémon!"

"Then I guess it's time for some barbecue!" the woman replied, grinning madly as she activated the Charizard mecha's Flamethrower attack once again.

"Look, Serena!" Iris called as the two girls came into view. "It's the lab!"

"Is that a giant Charizard attacking?" Serena questioned, though as soon as she said this her eyes were drawn to a defining feature of the mecha… "Oh, no. You've gotta be kidding me."

"What?" Iris asked. Serena pointed at the mecha's stomach, where a large, red R could be read. "Team Rocket?!"

"You know them?" the Kalosian girl asked.

Iris nodded. "They were a major pain when I was traveling through Unova. How do you know them?"

"Same story but in Kalos."

"Weird."

"Well, we'd better stop them! Go, Pancham!" Serena hurled her Poké Ball in the direction of the mecha, releasing Pancham. "Use Sky Uppercut and get their attention!"

"Emolga! Take to the skies and use Hidden Power!"

Pancham and Emolga quickly complied, the former running up to the giant Charizard and leaping into the air as its fist glowed, landing a hit on its left leg while the latter released several green orbs from her hands and into its stomach.

"Looks like we've got some damage from below," the man reported to his partner.

She grimaced. "Which lousy assistant is it this time?" As they angled the mecha to give them a better view of the attacker, Iris and Serena were both surprised to see that it was not the two Team Rocket members they had become acquainted with.

"You're not Team Rocket!" Serena shouted in surprise.

"Who are you two?"

The villains smirked as the woman began their answer, "We're the original Team Rocket, so prepare for trouble!"  
"And you'll never forget it, so make it double!" the man continued.  
"To infect the world with devastation!"  
"To blight all peoples in every nation!"  
"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"  
"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"  
"It's Cassidy!"  
"And Butch!"

"Cassidy and Butch…?" Iris questioned.

"Their motto sure is similar," Serena remarked.

"Hey! We didn't even get to finish!" Cassidy complained.

Iris shook her fist. "Forget it, Cassidy and Biff! We're not letting you get away with this!"

Butch scowled. "Great. Another twerp who can't remember my name."

"Calm down, Botch," Cassidy muttered. "And give them a Whirlwind they'll never forget!"

"It's Butch!" he screeched, though he complied with her direction. The Charizard mecha began rapidly flapping its wings, creating a gust of wind so strong that it blew Serena, Iris, Pancham, Emolga, the professor, and his assistants back several feet.

"That hurts," Iris muttered once she landed, slowly climbing to her feet. "Oh no, Treecko!" The Wood Gecko Pokémon had been blown out of Iris's arms, tumbling across the ground before landing not far from her. "Are you okay?" The crash had woken Treecko up and it now surveyed its surroundings, quickly realizing that the lab was under attack. It immediately began running in the direction of the Charizard mecha.

"Treecko, what are you doing?" Serena shouted after it.

"Looks like that Treecko wants to stop us," Cassidy remarked.

Butch grinned. "Let's give it a roasting it'll never forget!" He slammed his fist onto a button, triggering Charizard to release another blast of flames in Treecko's direction. Treecko skidded to a halt and braced itself as the flames drew nearer, only for them to be suddenly stopped. When Treecko opened its eyes again, it saw that Iris had jumped in the way and taken the full blast. She now collapsed to the ground.

"Iris!" Serena cried.

"I'm okay," the Dragon trainer muttered, shaking it off, though she then added, "That hurt more than I thought it would…" She turned back to Treecko. "What are you thinking? You're still injured! You can't run into every fight headfirst without thinking like that!"

Treecko snarled back at her. Though its language was strange, its point was clear as it gestured towards the lab, the professor, the Charizard mecha, and then Iris. Once it finished its miniature rant, it put its claw on its hips and waited for Iris to react.

"…You really care about the professor a lot, don't you?" Iris asked. Treecko nodded. "Well, we all care a lot about you, too. The professor would be really sad if you got badly injured. And… so would I." The Wood Gecko Pokémon looked a little embarrassed. "So let's work together to take down that mecha. What do you say?" She held out her hand. Treecko considered her offer for a moment, then accepted it by shaking her hand. "Great! Serena, Pancham, you ready?"

Serena's eyes lit up. "Right! Yes!" Pancham gave an affirmative cry and a thumbs up.

"Okay, Emolga! Fly around and distract them!" Iris ordered. Emolga took flight.

Cassidy scowled as the Sky Squirrel Pokémon flipped and looped around the head of the Charizard mecha. "Knock that flying rat out of the sky, Batch!"

Butch grimaced at the incorrect name but otherwise didn't react as he began pushing buttons and moving levers, causing the mecha to flail its arms in Emolga's direction, trying to knock her out of the sky as she skillfully dodged every attack. "Don't you have any aim?!" Cassidy screeched angrily.

Iris grinned. "While they're distracted, Serena!"

"Okay! Pancham, Sky Uppercut! Then Dark Pulse!" The Playful Pokémon jumped up and landed another uppercut on the mecha's left leg, then while still in the air blasted it in the chest with dark energy.

"Augh! They're double teaming us!" Cassidy whined. "Raticate, go! Handle this!"

"You too, Shuckle!" Butch ordered before returning to the controls, still trying to no avail to knock Emolga out of the sky.

"Pancham, Arm Thrust on Raticate!" Serena ordered as the Mouse Pokémon charged with a Super Fang attack.

"Axew, use Dragon Rage on Shuckle!" While Axew charged up a blue energy sphere in its stomach, Pancham dodged Raticate's bite and struck it in the back with a super effective Fighting-type move. Shuckle used Withdraw to pull itself into its shell as Axew's attack flew through the air at it, futilely attempting to raise its defense. As Shuckle emerged from its shell looking dizzy, Raticate stumbled back to its feet and attempted another Super Fang on Pancham, this one chomping down on the Playful Pokémon's arm.

"Pancham!" Serena cried.

Iris took her eyes off the battlefield briefly as Axew and Pancham struggled to free the latter from Raticate's strong grip, seeing that Emolga was becoming tired. "If only we could knock the mecha out of the sky… It might send them blasting off." She looked down at Treecko and suddenly got an idea. "Serena, Pancham try to push Raticate and Shuckle towards their mecha! Axew, Treecko, help out!"

"Um, okay!" Serena said, not quite getting the plan. "Pancham, Arm Thrust on Shuckle!" Just as before, Shuckle used Withdraw as Pancham ran towards it but slid backward upon collision.

"Axew! Use Scratch over and over again on Raticate! And Treecko, do the same with Pound!" Iris ordered. The two Pokémon quickly complied. Raticate's high speed allowed it to dodge most of the attacks but, as Iris planned, it was moving closer and closer to the mecha. "Keep it up, Axew! Treecko, use Absorb on the mecha!"

Treecko's eyes lit up as it suddenly understood what Iris was trying to do. It jumped up towards the Charizard mecha and stretched its arms out, releasing red beams from its hands that collided with the mecha, draining its power and restoring Treecko's. Team Rocket's attempts to hit Emolga quickly became sluggish.

"What's going on?" Cassidy asked. "Why are we slowing down?"

"We're running low on power," Butch remarked. "If we lose much more, we'll-" Before he could finish, the mecha's wings suddenly stopped flapping.

"…We'll what?" Cassidy prodded anxiously.

"Crash." As soon as he said this word, the mecha plummeted to the ground, landing in a smoking pile on top of Raticate and Shuckle. Pancham and Axew, fortunately, dodged out of the way. As Butch, Cassidy, Raticate, and Shuckle's heads emerged from the rubble, Iris smirked.

"See ya later, Bust and Cassidy!" she said. "Emolga, use Discharge!"

"No!" Cassidy shrieked as the electricity collided with the already-damaged mecha, causing it to explode and send the four criminals flying.

"MY NAME IS BUTCH!" Butch called angrily as began to disappear from view.

Cassidy groaned. "Oh, what does it matter now, Bunny? It looks like we're…"

"BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" they both said in sync before vanishing in a flash of light.

"Let's hope we never have to deal with them again," Iris remarked.

"Excellent work, all of you!" Professor Birch said as he stepped towards Serena, Iris, and their Pokémon. "You saved my lab! I can never thank you enough."

"No problem, professor!" Serena replied. "I'm glad we could help!"

Treecko smiled proudly. "Looks like you're feeling better after absorbing all that energy," Iris remarked to the Wood Gecko Pokémon.

"We should still let my assistants take a look at it," Birch said. "Iris, why don't you come with me and we can get you signed up for the Pokémon League?"

"Yeah! Let's do it!"

…

"And here's your badge case," Birch said, handing the small container to Iris as Serena watched. "Congratulations! You're now officially entered in the Hoenn Pokémon League!"

Iris grinned happily. "So what gym are we going to first?" Serena asked.

"Let's see…" Iris said, pulling out her PokéDex and looking at its map. "Rustboro City isn't far from here. And there's a contest happening there, too!"

Serena's eyes lit up. "Oh, that's great! Let's definitely go there!"

"Sounds like you have a plan," the professor said. "You should rest up before you leave. Feel free to stay the night at my lab. My assistants can heal your Pokémon."

"Thanks, professor!" Iris replied. As she and Serena turned to leave and go to the guest room, they were stopped by one of Birch's assistants, who was holding Treecko.

"It seems this little guy wanted to see you again, Iris," the assistant said.

Iris smiled. "Hi, Treecko! It looks like you're all healed up."

Treecko grinned and chirped, jumping out of the assistant's arms and onto Iris's shoulder. "You know, Iris, part of the reason Treecko has never been chosen by a trainer is that it has never found a trainer it likes," Birch explained. "But I think that changed today."

"Wait… are you saying…?" Iris questioned, surprised. She turned to the Wood Gecko Pokémon. "Treecko, do you want to travel with me?" Treecko nodded eagerly.

"Aw, how sweet!" Serena remarked as Iris set Treecko down and pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Okay, here goes!" she said, throwing the Poké Ball. Treecko jumped into it, allowing itself to be pulled in. The Poké Ball shook a few times before locking. Iris grinned.

"Yeah! I caught a Treecko for my new friend!" the Unovan Dragon trainer cheered, holding up the Poké Ball.

"I know you two will be a great team," Birch said.

Iris nodded. "Me too! But we'll be sure to visit so that Treecko doesn't miss you too much."

The professor smiled. "I look forward to it!"

…

Elsewhere, Butch and Cassidy finally land… in a giant lake.

"Ugh! Those twerps have made me so angry!" Cassidy screamed to no one in particular. "Let's go, Bicker!"

Butch scrambled after her. "It's Butch. Wait, where are we going?"

"We have to find those girls and teach them a lesson!" Cassidy replied, waving her fist. "They humiliated us in our moment of triumph!"

"Ah, but Cassidy, what about the boss's mission?"

"That'll just have to wait!"

 **With their destination set, a new ally in Treecko, and a new threat in Cassidy and Biff-**

"IT'S BUTCH!"

 **-Iris and Serena's adventure is just getting started! Join us next time as the journey continues!**

… **Sorry, I wanted to do that at least once, lol. Leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	5. Crisis in the Woods! A New Rival!

"Rustboro City, here we come!" Iris announced proudly as she emerged from Professor Birch's lab. From her shoulder, Axew let out a similar cry of joy. Serena was close behind, giggling at her companion.

"You're really excited, aren't you?" she asked.

"Duh!" Iris replied. "I have a brand new super-powerful partner," she motioned to Treecko, who sat on the opposite shoulder from Axew, "an amazing new traveling companion, and I'm ready to take down some gym leaders!"

"Me? Amazing? Really?" Serena flushed, but Iris wasn't paying attention – she had already set off for Rustboro City. Serena dashed to catch up with her. "Um, anyway… I did some research on Rustboro City before we left. It turns out the gym leader there is a specialist in Rock-types."

"Rock-types, huh?" Iris repeated thoughtfully. "Then Treecko and Excadrill's Grass- and Steel-type moves should come in handy."

Serena nodded. "Right! I also saw something else you might find interesting… It seems that the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza was recently spotted there! It Mega Evolved to help the Hoenn region Champion, Steven Stone, defeat Groudon and Kyogre, who were threatening to destroy the town… Isn't that so cool?" She turned to Iris, only to see she wasn't there. Instead, she was several feet behind Serena, having stopped as soon as she heard the word Rayquaza. "Um, Iris?"

"Rayquaza?" Iris questioned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "In Rustboro City? That's incredible! Let's get there right away!" She suddenly took off, barreling past Serena.

"I mean, it's probably not still there!" Serena called after her. "Iris! Wait up!"

Unbeknownst to either girl, Butch and Cassidy lurked nearby, spying on them from a treetop. "Rayquaza, hm? Now that's a powerful Pokémon…" Cassidy mused. "See, I told you following these girls would be worth our time, Brunch."

Before her companion could correct her on his name, both criminals were suddenly aware of a large figure breathing down their necks. "Brunch, must you stand so close?" Cassidy demanded.

"It's Butch," he replied. "And that's not me."

"It's not? Then who is it?" They both slowly turned around to see a massive Ursaring leering over them. As they screamed in terror, the Ursaring came down on them with a powerful Scratch, sending them both flying.

"Not fair!" Cassidy whined as she soared over the trees.

Butch shrugged. "Well, at least we're flying in the direction of Rustboro City!"

"Oh, shut it, Britches!"

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

…

"Iris!" Serena called to her companion. "Please slow down! I can't run anymore!"

"Oh, fine," Iris relented, slowing to a jog. "Hey, what's going on over there?"

Serena's eyes followed the direction Iris was pointing to see a young girl crying. Both older trainers immediately ran to her aid. "Hi, is something wrong?" Serena asked.

"O-Oh! Um, yes…" the girl replied. "M-My poor Lotad…" She moved aside, revealing the Water Weed Pokémon, clearly injured. "It was attacked by an awful wild Toxicroak!"

"A wild Toxicroak?" Iris questioned.

"I didn't think Toxicroak was native to this region," Serena mused.

The girl shook her head. "There have been all sorts of reports of weird Pokémon in this area… Toxicroak, Ursaring, Vespiquen… I was so excited, because Lotad had just learned Zen Headbutt and I thought we could use that move to take Toxicroak down. But it didn't seem to do anything!"

Iris looked surprised. "That's odd. Psychic-type moves should be super effective against a Poison/Fighting-type Pokémon like Toxicroak."

"I know! I just don't know what happened…" The girl began to cry again.

"Here, I have some potions we can use to heal Lotad," Serena said, kneeling beside the Water Weed Pokémon.

"Really? Thank you so much!"

"You should really keep potions on you, just in case something like this happens," Iris advised.

"I know," the girl said embarrassedly. "I ran out a few days ago and haven't thought to buy more. I'll be sure to do that right away!"

"That's good. And look, Lotad is already looking better!" Sure enough, Lotad had perked up significantly thanks to Serena's medication, and now jumped into its trainer's arms.

"Yay, Lotad! I'm so sorry you got hurt!" the girl said, hugging her Pokémon tightly. She then turned back to Iris and Serena. "My name is Cora, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Cora," Serena replied. "I'm Serena, and this is Iris. Now, what do you say we go get Lotad to a Pokémon Center? Just in case. And maybe we can see if Nurse Joy knows anything about the strange Pokémon in the area."

"Good idea!" Cora replied.

…

When they reached the Pokémon Center, they were surprised to see it overrun with trainers, all cradling injured Pokémon.

"Nurse Joy!" Iris called. "What's going on?"

The Pokémon Nurse and her Chansey assistant was quite frantic, only pausing to take a quick breath before answering, "There have been reports of dangerous wild Pokémon in this area, and a lot of people's Pokémon are getting horribly injured! I just don't know what to do!"

"Pokémon like Toxicroak?" Cora asked.

"That's right," another trainer replied. "My Kirlia was attacked by a Toxicroak! I thought I could take it down with Psychic-type moves, but they didn't do anything!"

"That's just what happened to Cora," Serena commented.

"It's so strange," Nurse Joy sighed. "But with so many Pokémon needing healed, I haven't been able to look into it myself.

"Well, maybe we can look into it for you!" Iris offered.

Nurse Joy's eyes lit up. "Would you?"

"Oh, please," a deriding voice interrupted. Iris, Serena, and Cora turned to see a purple-haired boy wearing blue clothes standing behind them with his arms crossed. "These Pokémon are a serious threat. It'll take more than a few new trainers to take them on."

"And just who are you?" Iris demanded, offended.

"The name's Paul," he replied. "Don't worry, Nurse Joy. I'll look into this for you."

"Well, thank you," Nurse Joy said, clearly taken aback by his attitude. Iris, meanwhile, was fuming.

"No way! I'll handle it first!" she announced. "I'm not letting you show me up, Paul!"

Paul scoffed as he left. "Good luck, kid."

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME A KID!"

As Iris exited the Pokémon Center after Paul, Cora turned to Serena. "Is she always this intense?"

"I think so," Serena replied. "I'm starting to get used to it."

…

"So how do we attract a rogue Toxicroak?" Serena asked as she, Cora, and Iris searched the forest near the Pokémon Center.

"When it attacked Lotad and me, we were just practicing Zen Headbutt," Cora said with a shrug.

Iris snapped her fingers. "It must have been attracted to the noise! So we just have to be loud!" She cleared her throat. "HEY, TOXICROAK! OVER HEEEEEEEERE!"

"Pathetic," Paul interrupted from a few feet away. Iris flinched, surprised to hear him.

"Oh yeah?" she demanded. "What's your plan, Paul?"

Paul didn't respond, instead just holding up his hand, which held a pot of honey. He proceeded to smear it on a tree. "Now we just wait."

"Sure, if you wanna do it the easy way," Iris muttered, defeated.

It wasn't long until the Toxicroak appeared.

"There it is!" Serena called.

Paul quickly grabbed a Poké Ball. "Ninjask, go!" he announced, releasing the Ninja Pokémon. "Use Fury Cutter!" The speedy Bug-type charged Toxicroak, releasing several cuts into it. Toxicroak was clearly greatly injured by this attack.

"I get it," Iris mused. "The Toxicroak's weaknesses and strengths must have been reversed somehow!"

"You think so?" Serena asked. "In that case… Pancham! Use Dark Pulse!" She sent out the Playful Pokémon, who immediately released a wave of dark energy into Toxicroak. However, Toxicroak barely flinched at the attack and instead charged Pancham, using Scratch to knock it back. "No, Pancham!" Serena gasped, quickly calling it back.

Paul groaned. "Haven't you two caught on yet?" he asked. "That's not a Toxicroak!"

"It's not?" Serena was confused. Iris and Cora's eyes, however, lit up in realization.

"I get it!" Cora cried. "So Lotad, you can safely use Absorb!" Lotad looked surprised, but obeyed. As the ray hit Toxicroak, draining its energy, Toxicroak's movements began to slow.

"Treecko! You too!" Iris ordered. As the two Absorb attacks and Ninjask's incessant Fury Cutter hits drained Toxicroak's energy, it began to slow before finally collapsing. In a bright flash of light, it revealed its true fom: A Zorua.

"A Zorua?" Serena asked, surprised. "Oh, of course! Zorua is a Dark-type Pokémon. That's why Psychic-type moves wouldn't do anything to it!"

"So cool… I've never seen a Zorua in person!" Cora cooed.

Paul, meanwhile, had pulled out a Poké Ball. "Alright, Zorua, you're coming with me!" he announced, winding back to toss it.

"Wait, no!" Cora shouted. "I want to catch it!" Paul stopped, eyeing her as she dug through her bag for a Poké Ball.

"Why should you get it?" he asked. "If it wasn't for my Ninjask, it would have just ravaged your Lotad again."

Cora scowled. "You don't know that! Lotad's Absorb was a huge help."

"Come on, Paul," Iris prodded. "Cora's just starting out as a trainer. A partner like Zorua would be a huge help to her."

Paul shook his head and turned back to the Zorua – only to see it had escaped in the chaos. "Well, it looks like neither of us are getting it now. It's run away."

"Which also means it's going to keep causing havoc in this area…" Serena said with a sigh.

Paul pocketed his Poké Ball. "So I guess whoever stops it first gets to catch it."

"Paul, don't be such a jerk!" Iris shouted, but it was too late. Paul had already walked away. "Alright, Cora, we're going to find that Zorua and you're going to catch it!"

Cora frowned. "What's the use? Paul is right. Lotad would never be able to take down Zorua on its own. It doesn't know any moves Zorua is weak to. Just Absorb, Bubble, and Zen Headbutt."

"Well, Pokémon battles aren't just about which Pokémon has the more effective moves," Serena stated. "With a good strategy, any Pokémon can win. If you can throw Zorua off-guard, you'll be able to weaken it no problem."

"You really think so?" Cora asked.

"We know so!" Iris replied. "So you say Lotad can use Absorb, Bubble, and Zen Headbutt?" Cora nodded.

"Zorua can't be harmed by Zen Headbutt," Serena said thoughtfully. "So you might be able to use that to your advantage. If you use Zen Headbutt, Zorua will assume you've left yourself open to attack. Then you can use Bubble when it's not expecting it!"

"And while Zorua is downed by Bubble, a nice hit with Absorb will drain its energy even more!" Cora finished, starting to catch on. "Wow, I had never thought about all of the strategizing battling takes!"

"Well, come on!" Iris said, grinning. "Let's find that Zorua before Paul does!"

…

"There it is!" Cora whispered, pointing at the silhouette of a Vespiquen floating behind the trees.

"And there's no sign of Paul," Serena noted. "Okay, it's time to put our strategy into action! Good luck, Lotad!"

Cora grinned confidently. "Alright, Lotad, use Bubble!" Lotad charged the supposed Vespiquen, spitting painful bubbles at it to catch its attention. The Pokémon was enraged by this action, emerging from behind the trees in a fury. "Careful, dodge!" The Water Weed Pokémon barely leaped out of the way of a powerful Scratch. "And use Zen Headbutt!"

"Just like we expected," Iris commented quietly. "Zorua isn't trying to dodge." Unbeknownst to Iris, Serena, or Cora, Paul had heard the commotion and was now watching from behind.

After Lotad bounced off of Zorua's defenses, its attack having no effect, Zorua immediately whirled and swung another Scratch attack, only to see Lotad was gone – it had used the momentum from Zen Headbutt to fly to the other side of its opponent. "Great job, Lotad! Now Bubble again!" A Bubble from behind knocked Zorua to the ground. "And Absorb!" Lotad released a red beam into the crippled Zorua's back, draining its energy even further. Another bright flash of light appeared and Zorua returned to its true form, fainted.

"You did it, Lotad!" Cora cheered. "Now go, Poké Ball!" She hurled the orb at Zorua. All three girls watched anxiously as the Poké Ball wobbled in place before finally sealing. "I did it! I caught a Zorua!"

"Congratulations, Cora!" "You were incredible!"

"I agree," Paul said, making his presence known. The girls turned to him, surprised. "That was impressive. Zorua is lucky to have such a strong trainer."

"You really think so?" Cora asked, her eyes sparkling.

Paul nodded. "Now you'd better get to the Pokémon Center. Zorua will need healing, and I'm sure Nurse Joy will be glad to hear she won't have to worry about powerful Pokémon attacking people anymore."

"Right! Thank you so much, Iris and Serena! Bye!" Cora said, running off.

"Bye, Cora!" Serena called after her. Iris, meanwhile, stepped over to Paul.

"Wow, Paul. Who knew you could actually be a decent guy?" she said teasingly.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Whatever, kid. But anyway, you did well helping out that trainer. I guess you're a little more talented than you look."

"Stop calling me kid," Iris said through clenched teeth.

Serena grabbed Iris's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, Iris. We'd better keep heading towards Rustboro City."

"Rustboro City, huh?" Paul asked. "Guess I'll see you there, then."

"What?" both girls said.

"I'm on my way there to look into the fight between Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre," he explained. "I'll be heading out tomorrow morning."

"So I guess we'll be running into each other again," Iris sighed. "Great."

Paul smirked. "I look forward to it, too, kid."

"I said to STOP CALLING ME KID!"

Serena smiled halfheartedly as she watched Iris bicker with her apparent new rival. One thing was certain: their trip through Hoenn was not going to be boring!


End file.
